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Working on a publication: Kaidan

I mention this, since I seem to be somewhat absent from the boards lately, though I've been spending lots of time in the CWBP instead.

So, "beat me up" as I don't even have a map for Kaidan (my new CWBP project), but I've been talking to some publishers about the biz, as I'm a long time gamer and a commissioned cartographer, but I've never tried to publish a game setting or adventure before.

Basically two sources have suggested I create a short campaign arc of 3 modules set in Kaidan to test the waters and see if there's enough of a market to risk creating a setting manual, a much more expensive venture. Both suggested I do a collaborative publication with an existing house.

Also, I started talking about d20, OGL, GSL and Pathfinder compatibility license, ways to market and which license should this campaign arc/setting go under.

In the end, I talked one of them to apply for the Pathfinder license and he was approved. Now he's offering to collaborate on the writing side, and some crunch help, in exchange for me creating a half dozen maps for his upcoming publishing projects! So it looks like Kaidan is going to begin as a series of adventure modules very soon! I haven't decided on whether to call myself GP Publishing or Kaidan Press (or something like that.)

It will be published OGL, as Pathfinder isn't official until August 2009, but at that time I can republish as Pathfinder (with the PFRPG logo), and begin to work towards publishing Kaidan as a setting in book form.

I've already found a "cheap" but excellent artist for cover and illustration work so this is becoming a reality, and I only started working on the project this month.

So I've got my own busy plans up ahead. I'll try to squeeze in a challenge or two in that time, but I've got some serious personal work to do.

I have been quite interested in the Pathfinder stuff since I first heard about it, and am glad to here that you are gonna be doing some stuff for the system. I look forward to seeing what you come up with

Congrats and best wishes are yours for this grand adventure!! Some rep too for having the balls to do what I never did, always thought about it, started on it a few times, but NEVER actually moved on it.

Art Critic = Someone with the Eye of an Artist, Words of a Bard, and the Talent of a Rock.

Manga?

Thanks, guys!

One thing though, both the publisher and I prefer realistic, scary illustration with a Japanese flavor, however he suggested (against my taste, but...) to use Manga-styled art in order to attract a larger and younger audience.

I don't know, I hate Manga art myself, but it might be a smart way to go.

Congrats GP! Personally I would prefer a realistic, scary illustration with a Japanese flavor over a manga-styled art as well. Personally, I think a good drawing with some creepiness/horror elements would be as much a draw for the younger crowd. I guess it depends on the style of the manga art.

This is fantastic news. Also because after the initial honeymoon the Guild alliance seems to have weakened somewhat and everyone has gone back to their own thing. I've always thought that if we worked together with our complimentry skills it would have the potential for great things. Great stuff, GP for finding the way forward.

Well, I too hate Manga-style art, and have a hard time understanding what the whole infatuation is with it. But if that is what he prefers, you may have to suck it up...or compromise, maybe a 50/50 split of manga & realistic. Sort of like how back in the 1st Ed days we had such wonderful artists as Jeff Dee, Willingham, and Erol Otis all working on art for the same product, and even WITHIN the same module etc.

I'd stick to your guns on that one. The art defines the flavour and I'm guessing you don't want the setting to go all manga on you. It's a style of story and character as well as a style of art. If you create the art but not the flavour to go with it, then your audience isn't going to stick around - and the people you would be targeting are likely to be turned away by the manga art and not read the text which they would otherwise be interested in.